If you’re looking to buy an all-electric car you can drive on the freeway, your options are limited. $100,000 will buy you an electric sports car from Tesla. But an affordable all-electric vehicle remains elusive, due to the difficulty in making a battery that is powerful, long-lasting, and cheap. QUEST visits a local battery laboratory and investigates the odds of a breakthrough.

Plug-in hybrids run for a certain distance on batteries. So far, hackers have been able to create plug-in hybrids that run for about 10 miles on batteries. After that, they revert to standard hybrid operation, which uses gas and electricity. Continue Reading / See Additional Photos

Looking for something interesting at the Detroit Auto Show? Don’t spend too much time, because there isn’t really anything new. Sure, there are hybrids, flex-fuels, and testosterone machines, but there’s nothing that people who care haven’t seen already.

There is however, a new-ish hybrid that changes the dynamic of hybrids, if only a tiny bit. The AFS Trinity is boasting 150 mpg from its XH 150. The difference between the Trinity and other hybrids: battery technology. Instead of charging batteries that discharge to the engine, the Trinity charges ultracapacitors that discharge to the engine quicker than traditional Lithium-ion batteries – so fast, in fact, that it will get you up to 90 mph on battery power alone. The Trinity can also go about 40 miles before the gas engine kicks in, making it a zero-emission vehicle for most commuters.